EMIRATES MATCH ZONE

London ground to a halt in the grip of a Tube strike on Monday night but Arsene Wenger does not mind the gap.

Arsenal beat Newcastle with goals from Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud to ease four points clear of Everton and a little closer to a 17th successive year in the Champions League.

It might not be what they hoped for at the Emirates after a flying start to the campaign but it represents a positive finish to a season which seemed to be sliding out of their control when they were thrashed at Goodison Park.

Little more than three weeks after that 3-0 defeat, Everton are misfiring and Arsenal are firmly back in the groove, inspired by the return of Aaron Ramsey and a second wind for Mesut Ozil.

Closing in: Arsenal brushed aside Newcastle to all but secure Champions League football next season

Looking good: Arsenal moved four points clear of Everton with two games to play

ARSENAL REMAINING GAMES

Sunday - West Brom (H)

May 11 - Norwich (A)

EVERTON REMAINING GAMES

Saturday - Man City (H)

May 11 - Hull (A)

On the brink: Arsenal moved four points clear of Everton with two games to play in the race for fourth

Add
the FA Cup to the obligatory top-four finish and Wenger can consider it
a successful season. He might even reach for a pen and that unsigned
new contract. ‘It’s not over,’ he said. ‘It is a step forward. One more
win and it will be top four for sure. We are in a strong position.’

Arsenal
can secure fourth at the weekend if they beat West Bromwich on Sunday,
or Everton lose to Manchester City, which would serve up an interesting
selection quandary at relegation-threatened Norwich on the final day of
the season.

Would he rest players with Wembley in mind? How might that impact on others at the bottom?

Alan
Pardew must long for such a headache. If this result cooled the heat on
Wenger, it was another blast for the Newcastle boss, back on the
touchline but unable to reverse a stinking run of form.

Those
who defied the transport complications to travel from Tyneside made
their feelings plain. They are far from happy with the aimless drift of
2014. This was a sixth defeat in a row as the Geordie choir noted in
song. They may be safe in mid-table but it is also 14 defeats in 19
since Boxing Day and Newcastle have scored only twice in eight games
since Pardew butted David Meyler at Hull. The numbers are grim, as was
the performance.

Aaron
Ramsey and Ozil seized control after a gentle first 20 minutes. Ramsey
adds a midfield thrust to Wenger’s team which was missed greatly during
his four months out.

On target: Laurent Koscielny fired Arsenal into the lead just before the half hour mark

Stretch: The French defender reached out his right foot to poke home Santi Cazorla's free-kick

Delight: Koscielny celebrates his goal by kicking the ball into the Emirates Stadium crowd

He is
the big ‘if’ in the centre of Arsenal’s season. His early-season form
was exceptional and no one stepped into the void when he was missing.
Now he is back, those around him seem to be enjoying their football
again.

One early Ramsey run
charged the atmosphere and set the tempo. Ozil, too, appears refreshed
from his time out through injury.

His mind is sharper and the pace is
back in his legs. Arsenal fans stood to applaud when he was replaced in
the second half. The missed penalty against Bayern Munich is fading
from memory.

Last night Ozil
was at the heart of Arsenal’s crisp passing and registered the first
real effort on goal, a sweet left-foot volley which flashed narrowly
wide after Tim Krul — who made decent saves but was vulnerable under the
crossed ball — punched to the edge of the box.

Newcastle
can also bemoan the loss of key personnel: Yohan Cabaye sold to Paris
Saint-Germain, Loic Remy missing through suspension and injury, Fabricio
Coloccini struggling for fitness.

Coloccini
made vital interceptions but the opener by Koscielny was a terrible
goal to concede from a defensive perspective.

Newcastle really should
have coped with the free-kick spun in from deep by Santi Cazorla but it
was allowed to loop through the air until it was met on the half-volley
by Koscielny, muscling his way past Moussa Sissoko and nudging the ball
past Krul.

Lukas Podolski
was denied twice in a matter of seconds by Krul — the first a deflection
with a knee and the second a fabulous reflex save to beat away a header
from close range.

Doubled: Mesut Ozil increased Arsenal's lead just before half-time

Third time lucky: Ozil was on hand to convert after Olivier Giroud missed the first two attempts

Break the duck: The German's strike was his first in the Premier League in 2014

And another: Giroud scored Arsenal's third goal midway through the second half to seal victory

Rising high: The Frenchman was unmarked and made no mistake in heading into the back of the net

Passenger: Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul was left helpless as Giroud extended Arsenal's lead

Data courtesy of EA SPORTS, Official Sports Technology Partner of the Premier League

Arsenal
were relaxed and in control, with Newcastle restricted to efforts from
distance. Sissoko burst past Per Mertesacker at 0-0, only to slide his
finish horribly wide. Cheick Tiote crashed a 35-yarder at goalkeeper
Wojciech Szczesny.

The second, three minutes before the interval,
crushed them. Mikel Arteta released Giroud, played onside by Mathieu
Debuchy, who nodded off at right back.

Twice
Krul thwarted Giroud but the second rebound spilled to Ozil, who drove
it into the net through the legs of Debuchy on the line.

Ozil was just
offside, but the flag stayed down. There were no complaints from the
Emirates crowd. Nor from Pardew afterwards for that matter.

Krul
saved from Cazorla and there was a glimpse of a comeback for Pardew’s
team early in the second half when Yoan Gouffran sprinted clear only to
fire straight at Szczesny.

The miss was amplified when Giroud leapt to
convert Ozil’s cross with a near-post header.

Newcastle’s fans reached for their banners of dissent and Arsenal’s taunted Tottenham.

Return: Alan Pardew was back after his ban

Enemy: Arsene Wenger and Pardew shake hands

Dejection: Newcastle fell to their sixth straight defeat in the Premier League

Loud and clear: Newcastle fans in the away end at the Emirates make their feelings towards Pardew known

EMIRATES MATCH ZONE - By Sami Mokbel

Theo to miss start of next season

Theo has confirmed he will miss the start of next season with the anterior cruciate ligament injury that he sustained in the FA Cup win over Tottenham in January.

In an interview in the match programme, the Arsenal winger said: ‘I want to be back for the early part of next season — that’s the goal.

‘I want to come back quickly, of course, but safely too. There will be a lot of hard work during the summer.’

Ox worries for England

Arsenal forward Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was left out of the squad altogether. The 20-year-old is being nursed through the rest of the season due to a groin injury.

The problem will be a cause for concern for Roy Hodgson, with Oxlade-Chamberlain, fitness permitting, virtually certain to make his squad for Brazil.

Perhaps whoever allocates the club-level seats at the Emirates Stadium was feeling mischievous. Norwich manager Neil Adams and Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, two men locked in a relegation scrap, were sat next to each other.

With the Canaries 18th and the Bluebirds 20th, the pair didn’t look to be enjoying each other’s company as they sat with stern faces jotting down notes.

Atletico add Giroud to wishlist

Atletico Madrid have added Olivier Giroud to their ever-growing list of striker targets. The Spanish title contenders are sifting through various names since Diego Costa is set to joinChelsea in the summer.

Giroud, 27, insists he wants to stay at Arsenal. The Gunners have also been looking at strikers, with Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandzukic, Karim Benzema of Real Madrid and QPR’s Loic Remy on their list.